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Journalism of Courage
When the Gujarat government appointed district public prosecutors PP three months ago, it chose VHP secretary general Dilip Trivedi for the Mehsana district court. Trivedi, also the parishad spokesman, will now present riot cases on behalf of the state government and police, both of which came under a cloud during the post-Godhra violence.
So representing the prosecution in the Sardarpura massacre case and the killing of three persons in Unjha will be an activist of the Sangh, blamed for much of the post-Godhra violence. But Trivedi is convinced that he would be able to do justice to both roles.
He cited Rajesh Modi of Ahmedabad City Civil and Sessions Court and B.M. Barot and P.M. Trivedi of the Metropolitan Courts as examples of VHP members carrying out their job as public prosecutors without allowing their affiliations to interfere.
8216;8216;According to the law, for a public prosecutor the state is a client. And instead of convicting the accused, a public prosecutor8217;s prime function is to assist the court,8217;8217; he says.
But some senior advocates of the Gujarat High Court disagree. 8216;8216;A prosecutor must be neutral. And the moment an appointment is made on the basis of party lines, it stops furthering the cause of justice and people8217;s faith in law,8217;8217; said counsel Dr Mukul Sinha. Rights activist Girish Patel was also critical. 8216;8216;How can people of one ideology prosecute accused who follow the same ideology,8221; he said.
